Reaching out…to Cyprus

I sometimes feel that this blog is becoming a list of all the things Israelis do to help others and less about life in Israel itself…and yet much of what has happened to us as a people in the past has shaped our willingness and our need to help others. The fact that this help is so ignored by the rest of the world does not lessen the importance of our actions.

Here is Israel, a nation willing to help others….

Israel sends aid to Cyprus to put out fire

At the request of the local government of the Republic of Cyprus, Israel sent two fire-extinguishing airplanes and 33 tones of fire extinguishing materials on Thursday morning (June 28, 2007) to assist in extinguishing fires that broke out in the Troodos Mountains last week.

The relief team which included 7 personnel among them fire fighters and physicians have been working along side local officials to contain the fire during the weekend. The team is currently on its way home.

The forest fire which broke out in the Troodos Mountains threatened the heart of the villages, homes, churches and summer camps. The villages of Pelendri, Saitas, Trimiklini, Kato Amiantos and Dimes have been evacuated.

According to the Forest Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, the fire was caused by high tension cables of the Cyprus Electricity Authority.

We are a democratic country; so much so, we allow our enemies into our government and from the podium of our parliament, they have the freedom to call for policies that would destroy us.
Our current enemies, those who pose the most immediate threat lie to our north. This is Hizbollah land, where according to their leader Hassan Nasrallah, “We have discovered how to hit the Jews where they are the most vulnerable. The Jews love life, so that is what we shall take away from them. We are going to win, because they love life and we love death.”
Our enemies lie to the northeast. This is Syria. My sons have spent many months on the Golan Heights, including some tense days waiting to see how the Syrians would react after Israel sent planes to destroy a building widely believed to be the beginnings of a nuclear reactor. My oldest son fought near Gaza to help stop the rockets from being fired against Israel.
Our enemies lie further to the east. This is Iran, led by fanatics who promise that they will do all they can to accomplish in a few minutes more than what Adolf Hitler accomplished in six years of war. The Iranian leadership has made it clear in words and actions that they are after a nuclear bomb and that their goal is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Believe them.